The invention relates to a quenching and contact arrangement for a compressed-gas circuit breaker which includes a tubular contact and a contact axially arranged with respect thereto between which an arc blasted by a compressed-gas stream is drawn when breaking the circuit under load. A turbulence grid is disposed in the path of the compressed-gas stream.
The term turbulence grid is here understood to be means dividing the compressed-gas stream and generating several mutually independent gas jets. In Deutsche Auslegeschrift No. 1,064,592 there is disclosed a compressed-gas circuit breaker with a closed quenching chamber wherein eddy formations must be expected in the course of the gas flow to the switching chamber because of structural aspects such as elbows; these formations may cause losses in the quenching performance. To eliminate such eddy formations, means to divide the gas flow, that is a turbulence grid, is provided which is configured in the form of a perforated disc. The holes in the perforated disc are disposed rotation-symmetrically. The chamber accommodating the perforated disc and guiding the compressed-gas is of such conical configuration that its cross-section increases gradually in the direction towards the perforated disc. The compressed-gas stream is divided into several mutually independent streams by means of the perforated disc. This destroys eddies originating in the stream and equalizes nonuniformities.
It is an object of the invention to stabilize the arc drawn between the contacts without thereby increasing the compressed-gas consumption in compressed-gas circuits of the type described above.